WASHINGTON — House Republican leaders plan to outline broad immigration principles, including legalization for the 11 million immigrants living here illegally, to the GOP rank and file as they look to revive long-stalled efforts to overhaul the nation’s immigration system.

Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and other House GOP leaders will measure the willingness of party members to tackle immigration in a midterm election year when they unveil the principles Thursday at the GOP caucus’ annual retreat in Cambridge, Md.

“We’re going to outline our standards, principles of immigration reform and have a conversation with our members, and once that conversation’s over we’ll have a better feel for what members have in mind,” Boehner told reporters this week.

Boehner faces strong opposition from several conservatives who fear that legislation will lead to citizenship for people who broke U.S. immigration laws, are suspicious of President Barack Obama and his enforcement of any law and are reluctant to give the president a long-sought legislative victory.

Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, delivered a 30-page package to all 232 House Republicans on Wednesday that offered a point-by-point rebuttal to the expected principles.

Sessions warned of the negative impact of proposed changes in immigration policy on U.S. workers, taxpayers and the rule of law as the House leaders look at legalization for some of the 11 million immigrants living here illegally. Sessions and other opponents argue that legal status and work authorization amounts to amnesty and serves as a path to citizenship.

Responding to Obama’s renewed call for immigration legislation and the positive signals from House GOPleaders, Sessions said Republicans “must end the lawlessness — not surrender to it — and they must defend the legitimate interests of millions of struggling American workers.”

Separately, several lawmakers were working on legislation dealing with children of parents in the United States illegally and visas for guest workers.

Republicans insist that the party must pass reforms and address the issue of those in the country illegally to be competitive in presidential elections. In 2012, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who suggested thatimmigrants “self-deport,” won just 27 percent of the Hispanic vote.